Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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This tutorial explains some useful bass/rhythm patterns when improvising a pop piano comp from the chord progression of a song. If you're working on your piano skills, and especially if you're interested in improvisation, songwriting or keyboard-based music production, you're going to find this useful!

Remember to check out my Patreon: patreon.com/billhilton

And my book on this style, Seven Studies in Pop Piano: billspianopages.com/seven-studies - also available as part of my classic bundle deal at billspianopages.com/bundle

Other useful tutorials:

The 1564 chord progression toolkit: youtu.be/pBaaNCCfvrU
A rhythm exercise for pop piano comps: youtu.be/z1Zp-ZctAA4
Pop Piano Improvisation Walkthrough in F Major: youtu.be/xAKeaac-qVc

00:00 Overview of comping
00:58 Q1: What's with the open/split voicings?
03:09 The point of splitting the bass
04:25 The reason for the shell chords
06:48 Q2: What's with the offset rhythm?
10:47 Practising this stuff if you're new
11:57 Video stylings: slick vs AI vs Bill blethering

#pianotutorial #piano